Unhappy about the source of our goals

[edetarod 2,155]

i want to talk about our goals scored this season, because i'm not happy at all from where our goals are coming from...

vs Wigan:

1st: counter attack set up brilliantly by Hazard, but lets face it was horrible defending by Wigan. and a defender scored the goal.

2nd: penalty...

vs Reading:

1st: penalty...

2nd: shot from outside the box from a defender again and some bad goal keeping

3rd: quick passing in the opposition box and finished by our striker. these are the goals i want to see where we rip the defense apart due to our domination (too bad it was offside though)

4th: there was no goal keeper...

vs Newcastle:

1st: penalty...

2nd: great teamwork goal (no complaint)

vs Atletico:

1st: a scrappy goal from a corner...

vs Juventus:

1st: a deflected shot from outside the box...

2nd: brilliant individual quality goal from Oscar, but again outside the box

so...

the source of most of our goals:

1. penalties

2. shots from outside the box

3. counter attack

what it should be:

1. goals due to dominating the opposition (inside their own box)

2. setting up one on one's with the goal keeper

3. playing through balls to our striker/attacking players

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Any way we score is a good way to score.

[Spike 12,049]

A goal is a goal is a goal IS A GOAL. Or rather something along the lines of.

[HRiver 1,512]

I don't care how they're scored, as long as we score more than the opposition.

[Slam Dunk 1,442]

I'd rather we have different ways to score and everybody contributes to the goal tally - Rather than trying to walk it into the net every time like Arsenal.

[dumps 284]

I must say, I think you are viewing these goals in a very negative light. but i do know where you are coming from.

however, the way we are set up, this is where the goals are going to come from. I believe Robbie is counting on the counter attack to get us goals (normally in a counter attack, a lot of players are out of position, hence Ivanovic slotting the first goal against wigan... and it also may be the reason for putting Rami and Bertrand on the wings - keep them defending then smash on the counter attak... meaning, there position on the wings isn't acutally their position, their names are there for the sake of the team sheet and formation...).

I think RDM wants us to score on the counter, the shots ouotside the box are just an added bonus. The penalties: you could argue lampard is playing (despite poor form) just for his penalties simply because Hazard gets fouled a lot in the box - thats a hell of a conspiracy and a longshot and is most likely untrue! (I hope!)

we won't see that many glamorous goals unless RDM plays our attacking creative players. Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Moses, Sturridge, Marin and tactically changes our passing system. when we are in possession i cannot really see any pattern tactic apart form (lets jsut see what we can do with the ball) so I think RDM is very focused on the defending and counter attack (our possesion stats suggest we want them to come at us then pounce on the counter...)

This worked fairly well against barca and Bayer last season (relying on some luck as well) so you cna understand why RDM likes it... but against Wigan??? Reading??? QPR??? we should be smashing and dominating these teams!

this is also a system that doesnt work for Torres (or any striker playing for us at the moment i'd say) and its why he could be gettign stick. I dont think we have all that much in terms of a plan or tactic when we have possesion (and if we do, its not very good/working). like you said, the goal agianst newcastle was very well worked, but its the only one that showed a creative attacking team goal!

A goal is a goal though as said. we are top of the league. sure, we have 2 draws we should and could have won both, and we got demolished by At. Madrid. but other than that, we aren't doing that bad compared to teams around us. I wouldn't worry - just dont look at everything in such a negative light.

[Jase 43,479]

Can see where you are coming from with this and perhaps there is a good reason to be concerned a bit. However, we have been creating the chances in the penalty box etc. Only problem is the final passes have more often than not been poor or they just turn into Torres when they get into the box, fluffing chances.

[Sheva. 5,373]

I don't really have a problem with how we score, but it is weird how we rarely ever have a player clean through on goal.

Some people says it's because Torres doesn't make runs, but i watched one game of Spain recently and he was through 2 times in the first 45 minutes.

So it's surely not just him.

[dumps 284]

I don't really have a problem with how we score, but it is weird how we rarely ever have a player clean through on goal.

Some people says it's because Torres doesn't make runs, but i watched one game of Spain recently and he was through 2 times in the first 45 minutes.

So it's surely not just him.

it's just our style. its not built for a striker! its the tactics. any striker in that position will struggle. and Torres gets frustrated. the formation is fine, it doesnt really matter, its the mentality.

i dont know if its just me, but we all know David Luiz runs riot and ignores a lot fo tactics... and i think he also realises Torres gets no feed of the ball. you watch when David has the ball. He always looks to torres and a lot of the time he'll try a pass (normally a long ranged ball that a defender just heads away).

In time i think our tactics will change. probably in the carling cup: i think we'll see a fresh line up, and a different mentality - win 10-0 and from there onwards we will be more attacking. you heard it here first

[Beirut_Blues 306]

Thought you'd argue that u'd like to see our striker score.

I'd like to see Torres score more than our midfield, but don't we all.

[BOSS 372]

Well i don't care how we score, but the reason of these goals are because of Torres we dont have a striker. So basically in my eyes we are playing with 10 men, thats why we score these kind of goals,

[manpe 10,861]

Thought you'd argue that u'd like to see our striker score.

I'd like to see Torres score more than our midfield, but don't we all.

Our defence has scored most of our goals as of now, 2 by Ivanovic and 2 by Cahill. Not counting pens by Lamps and Hazard, otherwise our midfield would surpass them I guess.

[SeB 1,281]

That's a fair remark, I do think it shows how inefficient is the attacking animation for quite some time. There's a huge room before expecting a team to be unidimensionnal and always attack the same way. I mean that we should be able to show some oiled combinaisons proving there's work done at training.

There's two things I do think one has to separate: the fact to have an oiled pattern of play, way of playing etc... and the quality of the players at your disposal. Basically small clubs tend to work on the collective aspect, outsiders depends on the collective aspect and on the form of individuals. Big teams are expected to mix a collective playing habit with individuals.

Chelsea when going forward isn't able to produce a specific attack for some time, that mainly relies on what can individuals do. Regarding Torres' topic of yesterday, who can blame Torres to search himself in the play considering he doesn't know how the ball will come to him ?

I would call our attacks and the chances we produce as "opportunist", it relies on Hazard's, Mata's... technical ability and it depends of what is possible in a given situation. We attack depending on how the opponent behave... That's like our ball retention issues at the moment, we shouldn't wait the opponent to commit a mistake and then exploit it.

We should inbalance the opponent with the quality of our attacks, not attacking after seing an inbalance. I don't know if I managed to be clear enough...

[Madmax 9,219]

I wouldn't say I'm 'unhappy' about the sources of our goals (the more, the merrier) but I agree that for all the money spent on getting attack minded players here there's no marked change in our approach to a game.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

I would call our attacks and the chances we produce as "opportunist", it relies on Hazard's, Mata's... technical ability and it depends of what is possible in a given situation. We attack depending on how the opponent behave... That's all our ball retention issues at the moment, we shouldn't wait the opponent to commit a mistake and then exploit it.

We should inbalance the opponent with the quality of our attacks, not attacking after seing an inbalance. I don't know if I managed to be clear enough...

We're being reactive instead of taking the game to the opponent. This is in a large part true, but it's also to be expected when there is such a high turnover of players and so little continuity with coaches. We have had 3 coaches in the past 2 years. We've had a lot of players leave and a lot of new ones come in and there will undoubtedly be more new players to come.Of the 18 players who were available to play in our opening game against Stoke last season, only 8 are currently with the club. It will take some time to find out how players fit together and even who goes where and how to best integrate a style that fits the squad.

[Sheva. 5,373]

for all the money spent on getting attack minded players here there's no marked change in our approach to a game.

Tbf only Hazard has started consistently out of all the players we bought and we've seen the difference he has made. The rest of the team is made up of 10 players who were already here last season.

[Madmax 9,219]

Tbf only Hazard has started consistently out of all the players we bought and we've seen the difference he has made. The rest of the team is made up of 10 players who were already here last season.

I think the key word from my original post is 'approach'; everyone of Hazard, Oscar, Marin and Mata do not need to be on the pitch for us to undergo a change in our identity.

[SeB 1,281]

We're being reactive instead of taking the game to the opponent. This is in a large part true, but it's also to be expected when there is such a high turnover of players and so little continuity with coaches. We have had 3 coaches in the past 2 years. We've had a lot of players leave and a lot of new ones come in and there will undoubtedly be more new players to come.Of the 18 players who were available to play in our opening game against Stoke last season, only 8 are currently with the club. It will take some time to find out how players fit together and even who goes where and how to best integrate a style that fits the squad.

I'm fully aware about that. But one more time there's things to separate: the fact to produce attacking sequences and the fact to score from it. I would be happy to see drafts of attacking sequences, even not concluded.

At the moment that's not a matter of new arrivals, that plays a litlle part. The issue is "what game plan, planned sequence are they expected to be adapted to ?"

There's no work in progress. I missed almost every game live, I saw its after without the live event pressure and knowing the result, I could watch its in a more attentive way.

I really would like to see some concrete stuff, I could then become optimistic about the potential of the squad this season. I really have nothing against Robbie... but there's not even one worked sequence per game...

[Sheva. 5,373]

I think the key word from my original post is 'approach'; everyone of Hazard, Oscar, Marin and Mata do not need to be on the pitch for us to undergo a change in our identity.

Actually i think they do. The other players are used to one style and that's passing sideways or hoofing it to Drogba, it's the new players that can help change the way we play.

[Madmax 9,219]

Actually i think they do. The other players are used to one style and that's passing sideways or hoofing it to Drogba, it's the new players that can help change the way we play.

This post makes me think about Mascherano. The one at Liverpool is markedly different to the one at Barcelona. Players can be convinced to buy into a philosophy. What's that, Cech? You're used to lumping cannon balls in the general direction of an Ivorian monster? Well that's too bad because we now have Torres up there.

Mais non.